The Dallas Mavericks hosted a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to welcome new additions Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Quentin Grimes, who the team acquired through a combination of free-agency signings and trades.
Dallas, coming off an NBA Finals appearance against the Boston Celtics, continues to improve the team throughout the offseason with acquisitions emphasizing improved shooting.
The Mavericks hosted a press conference featuring the three new players and Vice President of Basketball Operations Michael Finley.
Thompson, acquired from the Golden State Warriors in the NBA’s first-ever six-team trade, discussed his decision to sign a contract with the Mavericks and said he is glad for the “fresh start” after spending 13 years with Golden State.
“It’s nice to kind of shed that and have a whole new fresh start, whole new group of guys to get to know, co-workers, whole new city. It’s really cool, and I’m going to embrace the heck out of this opportunity,” he said, according to ESPN.
Thompson acknowledged some of his struggles in recent seasons and said that there are often times when “change can spur greatness, and a new change of scenery can do wonders.”
“I’m very grateful for my time at Golden State, but I just felt like moving on could just re-energize me and do something special for the rest of my career,” he said, as reported by Sports Illustrated.
Dallas prioritized shooting and wing defense in their offseason additions, as Thompson, Marshall, and Grimes have each shown the ability to stretch the floor while playing incredibly solid defense on the other side of the ball.
All three players will be expected to play significant roles for the Mavericks during the 2024-25 season after the team lost guards Josh Green and Tim Hardaway Jr. in trades to acquire Thompson and Grimes. Marshall was acquired to play a similar role to now-Clipper Derrick Jones Jr.
Both Marshall and Grimes emphasized how important it will be for them to play defense when they get on the court during the season.
“That’s kind of my MO, toughness on defense,” said Marshall, per FanNation. “It’s one of the things I bring to the game and something I love to do. … That’s what [the Mavericks] got this year. I’m going to pick up whatever slack they lost or add to.”
Grimes expressed a similar sentiment while discussing how he hopes to impact the team, explaining that he will focus on defense and look to Head Coach Jason Kidd for lessons about guarding some of the greats.
“I’m excited to pick [Kidd’s] brain and ask questions about guarding Michael [Jordan] and Kobe [Bryant],” he said, per CBS News. “Excited to get to work.”
Although the NBA has yet to announce the official start date for the 2024-25 season, the regular season will likely begin sometime in October.